Little symbols.
Big collector energy.

A Scarlet & Violet Base ladder. Premium tiers follow their observed frequency in the study below; this is not a universal ranking across every Pokémon set, language or era. Rarity is not a price ranking.

01Lechonk154/198 · View card ↗

●

Common

C

The everyday crew: basic Pokémon, Trainers and other regular set cards. Familiar faces can still make brilliant binder pages.

Look for: One black circle beside the card number.

Base-set pack structure4 common slotsIn a standard English Scarlet & Violet Base pack; not four copies of this example.

02Dachsbun099/198 · View card ↗

◆

Uncommon

U

A step up from commons. Often evolution Pokémon and useful Trainers, with plenty of cards worth keeping for your deck.

Look for: One black diamond.

Base-set pack structure3 uncommon slotsIn a standard English Scarlet & Violet Base pack; not three copies of this example.

03Armarouge041/198 · View card ↗

★

Rare

R

The classic star. Regular rares in Scarlet & Violet Base have holographic artwork. A holo is a finish; it does not automatically mean a big chase.

Look for: One black star.

Base-set pack structureRare or betterThe rare slot may upgrade to Double Rare or Ultra Rare. Not a guaranteed copy of a regular Rare.

04Gardevoir ex086/198 · View card ↗

★★

Double Rare

DR

The regular Pokémon ex printing: foil, a bigger presence on the card, and an ex rule. The same Pokémon may also get higher-rarity artwork.

Look for: Two black stars. Lowercase “ex” is a card type, not a rarity by itself.

Any card in this tier≈ 1 in 7.4packs in this sample234 hits / 1,728 packs · 13.5%
Not the odds of this pictured card.

05Ralts211/198 · View card ↗

★

Illustration Rare

IR

A little world in one card: a full-art scene showing a Pokémon’s personality or habitat. Think beautiful storytelling rather than just a bigger portrait.

Look for: One gold star.

Any card in this tier≈ 1 in 13packs in this sample130 hits / 1,728 packs · 7.5%
Not the odds of this pictured card.

06Gardevoir ex228/198 · View card ↗

★★

Ultra Rare

UR

A full-art foil treatment for Pokémon ex or Supporters. Different artwork and a different collector number from the regular version.

Look for: Two silver / shiny foil stars.

Any card in this tier≈ 1 in 15packs in this sample112 hits / 1,728 packs · 6.5%
Not the odds of this pictured card.

07Gardevoir ex245/198 · View card ↗

★★

Special Illustration Rare

SIR

The cinematic scene: special full-art illustrations of Pokémon ex or Supporters. Often a collector favorite, but the label alone does not set the price.

Look for: Two gold stars. Sometimes called “special art” by collectors.

Any card in this tier≈ 1 in 33packs in this sample52 hits / 1,728 packs · 3.0%
Not the odds of this pictured card.

08Miraidon ex253/198 · View card ↗

★★★

Hyper Rare

HR

The gold treatment. In this Scarlet & Violet Base sample, this tier appeared less often than SIR. Harder to pull does not automatically mean more valuable.

Look for: Three gold stars in the Scarlet & Violet system.

Any card in this tier≈ 1 in 54packs in this sample32 hits / 1,728 packs · 1.9%
Not the odds of this pictured card.

Artwork: The Pokémon Company’s card database. Tap any card to see its entry. Examples are from the same English expansion as the odds.

02 / Make the math make sense

“1 in 33” isn’t a promise.

Card Shop Live recorded 1,728 Scarlet & Violet Base packs. It found 52 Special Illustration Rares: about 3% of packs, or one SIR per 33 packs on average. That means any SIR, not specifically Gardevoir. Opening 33 packs does not guarantee one.

03 / The collector’s dictionary

And what about stamps?

Some words describe a card’s rarity. Others describe its finish, game mechanic or how you got it. Here’s how to tell them apart.

Card type

Pokémon ex ≠ a rarity

Lowercase ex appears on Double Rare, Ultra Rare, SIR and other prints. Older uppercase EX, GX, V, VMAX and VSTAR belong to other card mechanics and eras. Match the set and exact number before comparing.

Variant / distribution

Stamped cards

Pokémon Center, prerelease, STAFF and Play! Pokémon stamps identify a particular release. Some are included in a product or awarded at events; others come from special packs. There is no single stamped-card pull rate or rarity rank.

Promo

Black Star Promo

A promotional release, often with a prefix such as SVP. Check the exact product or event that distributed it. A specified box promo is an inclusion, not a lucky pull from the boosters inside.

Finish

Holo & reverse holo

Holo describes reflective artwork; reverse holo describes a different foil area or pattern. A reverse-holo Common is still a Common. Poké Ball and Master Ball patterns must be identified by set and language.

Set-specific tier

ACE SPEC Rare

Modern ACE SPEC cards have a distinctive magenta treatment. They are their own rarity category, with odds specific to the expansion. They are not included in the Scarlet & Violet Base study.

Special expansion

Shiny Rare & Shiny Ultra Rare

Shiny Pokémon have alternate colors. Paldean Fates lists Shiny Rare and Shiny Ultra Rare separately from its other rarities. A shiny is not the same thing as a shiny foil surface.

Mega Evolution era

Mega Hyper Rare & newer tiers

Later expansions add categories such as Mega Hyper Rare. Pokémon’s current card database also lists Black White rare and other expansion-specific labels. These sit outside this Base-set ladder; their pack odds are not borrowed from it.

Collector vocabulary

Secret rare, alt art & rainbow

“Secret rare” commonly means a number above the printed set total, such as 245/198. “Alt art” is collector shorthand; rainbow describes a treatment seen in earlier eras. None supplies a universal pull rate.

Different market

AR, SAR & Japanese cards

Japanese labels and pack structures differ from English releases. AR and SAR are useful search terms, but English IR/SIR odds cannot be carried across to Japanese boxes.